Hi all.I'm not usually one to start a thread, but here goes. I'm working on a memoir that digs the claws in (as a good memoir should!!) to some family members.I am very aware of keeping myself above board and to not make 'outrageous' claims, but there are 'skeletons in the closet' type instances that I would want to run by a GOOD defamation lawyer.I remember about 12 months ago Writing Magazine ran an editorial about this exact topic. As would happen to all of us (who aren't particularly organised) I cannot find the copy. Has any TBer had occasion to use, or is in a position to refer/recommend a suitable professional? I would rather do it from here than blindly from the 'net.

Thanks to Phots and Baggy.When I wrote of 'digging in the claws' I used it as a reference to using a 'warts and all' account. Sure, there are trains of thought about various types of memoirs ranging from the soft to the outrageous. My view is that if one's life is severely edited, then the memoir itself serves no purpose. Revenge, in my view, can hardly be sought from a publication, because the risk of it backfiring (as you both rightly point out) can be detrimental to the wider family, to the author, and to the publication.Putting that side, the thrust of my thread was to seek assistance in the form of a defamation specialist or a Writing Magazine back issue.Thanks for you wise insight.P